Barclays confirms Washington Galleries branch to close

The bank has told the Echo that it will cease its operations there for good on Friday, July 21, but that following the branch’s closure it will still have a presence in Washington, at a location and times yet to be decided.

The Echo understands that this will be a pop-up and cashless branch.

In February the bank announced that its Houghton branch, which closed in 2021, would be replaced by a “Barclays van”, where customers can make a booking to be seen in person.

Since the closure of branches in Chester-le-Street branch in August 2022 and in Houghton in July 2021, the nearest other permanently sited Barclays to Washington is Sunderland’s Fawcett Street branch; which is six miles away from the Galleries.

In 2022 Barclays announced that a total of 142 of their sites would close across the country before the end of the year.

Then earlier this month the bank said it was closing another 15 branches dotted around the UK, but the Washington outlet was not on that list. Nor was it on another list of 14 closures announced in March.

The Echo has asked Barclays for a latest list of its closures, but so far only the Galleries branch has been confirmed.

The bank has closed more than 1,000 branches since 2015, and says this is a reflection of the simple fact that fewer customers actually need to call turn up in person.

A Barclays spokesperson said: “Our customers’ behaviour has changed significantly in recent years, with the majority now choosing online banking.

“This is reflected at Washington branch and as we adapt, we are finding new ways to support our customers by maintaining our community presence with options for customers who still require in-person support.

“In Washington we plan to open a Barclays Local – a pop-up cashless banking site where customers can meet a colleague face-to-face for banking support, as they would in a branch and without the need to travel.

“We are currently working with the local community to identify a suitable location and will announce details once confirmed.”